Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-19
UP THE DENVER.
Colonel Carey ". &FylaS NHh-s sa sx-
SeDsiya Tour 3Gr0Ukis 's,t Nor, uWcSJ
aRd Genes BEck G01verts
Tho Lsase Law and Its Operations Posi
lively Eetarding tbs Settlement of The
CountEy-HOw Il WUrks

MOST wide-aWake neWSD Gper men in the
state is Colonel Carey w. Styles, editor
Of the Bosque Citizen Of Meridian, and
known sH over the country as the original
founder of the Atlanta Constitution. He
mss just returned from an extensive tour
through the Panhandle and IS loud and
enthusiastic in his praises OF that
country, and eloqQent in diiating
upon its magnificent possibilities.
Anxious a. 81 times 20 hsar from the
great northwest, GAZETTE reporter
sought Colonel Styles at the Pickwick
botel where ne vas stopping, and know
| irg rim 70 be one Ct the fraternity, with
out any ceremony or bea1ing around the
bush, fred Of-hand st him: "ColOnel,
what do you Ihink of the Panhspdle?"
Said Colonel Styles-''I think the Pan
handle is one OF the finest countries on
earth. With ny preconceived ideas I
Was not prepared for the revelation that
awaited ne when l passed through over
the Fort Worth and Denver City Rail
road. There Is no other seCtiOu in Texas
thai can boast more fertile soil or
more genial climate. The air is pure ard
Oracing, the Water is excellent and
essIy reached, sod vegetation OF all
| kinds grows luXuriaEtly."
Said the repOcter-''Is the country i'm
ploying mucl-that is, do ogrjcultur-
isfs seem to be coming in rapidIy?"
Sad Colonel StyIes-"I an sorry to
say that it is got. Indeed, there is sbsC-
| Lutte s.gguatiou there, and tee residents of
| both town and country are Cisheertened
and discouraged. Under the present dis
pansatlon Of Affairs, The Panhandle is not
likely soon to settle"
Said the reporter-ssTo what do you at
tribute the cause?"
SKID Colonel StYIes-''To the lard laws,
| or rather 20 the Jesse law and its admins
tIatiou. I see that you are amused end
know the cause. You are thinking
that I used to be strong lease
| law advocate, and wAe, but I
an no longer. I was "a lease
| law advocate because | bell we'd that the
! csttlemen are usurpng the country and
| holding possession OF it TO the exclusion
! Ct &l others, aCd that their system of
| line riding and Illegal fencing prevented
! the ilCursiOn Of agriCulturists. l res
sOEed that Il such was The case these cat
| tlemen should DE compelled to pay come
thing into the school fund for The
exclusive privileges which they enjoyed.
Under similar circumstances | would
| believe so yet, but things have changed
! II adopting lease Law the advocates Of
! that measure were honestly and sincerely
in favor IF the development of the stste,
| but they broke sway from one evil and
rushed into the arms Of worse one.
! Public sentiment has so changed, snc the
| logic Of The past few years is such thai
there is no danger to be GppreheEdeG
from line riding in the future, and the
Wisest plan that, il is possible for the
state TO pursue is to throw open q i these
! lands to settlement, Lessee nOAe of them,
| but give the man with five head OF cattle
n equal show with the owner OF 5000
hesd. This IL the only way the country
can be settled"
Sad the rtpOrter-"But Colonel, one
of the chief arguments of the advocates
of lease law, including yourself, has
| been That these lands were ell leased sub
ject TO the rights Ct the acruai settler
| ThH desired To 60 upon the lands in good
falth aad engage in farming. Does your
Observa ions COntr0vert the praCticebilily
OF this iheQry?"
Said Colonel Styles-"They do. Be-
fore the NEE ing of the last Legislature
the lessass cl2imed the right against slI
psIkSes whatsoever to the lands in their
lsleSses. This gave rise to conflicts iu-
I Vulnerable between the Cattlamen and the
SQC2tters who desired to enter enclosures
and settle upon the lands. The senti-
men, Of the state, even among the most
earnest advocates Of the lease system, he's
been in favor Of the settlement Of the
country and the protection OF the sctusl
settlers, and in these contests the cattle
men had too much opposition to meet
and usually came out second best. Ia
order to remove the friction the last Leg
islature passed q law authorizing the
classification Of lands with the intention
of removing ell distractions against the
entrance of the actual settlers upon
lands suitable for agricultural purposes.
Instead Of this benefting matters, how
ever, the law vas sejz ed upon by the Cat
tlemen as q weapon Of defense. 1t should
be bOlne in mind that there is very little
land ia the Panhandle that is not good
agricultural lands, in spite OF the claims
Of those who Sre Interested in the prCpa-
CATION of different belief. It should be
remembered too, that lands msnitestly
upfis for agricultural purposes are worth
less comparatively as grazing LANDS. The
question therefore depends almost alto
gether upon the classification, and in
many instances this is in the hands Of
cattlemen or their friends. Let me illus
trate, ana one instance will suffice: The
agent of certain cattle company w&s
employed in selecting lands for his prin-
cipal, aud after securing = number of sec
tions, he went to Austin and paid the
lease price for them to the Land Com
missioner. Shortly afterwards be was
appointed clsssifier, and is at present
engaged in tlat capacity. Can it be ex-
y pecteu that ne will classify lands or de-
eide what is and what is
posE suitable for agricultural pur-
poses as would some one who
had never been employed by those whose
JIuterests are opposed to the actual settle
ment OF the country. Is it not more nat
uraI to suppose that his prejudices or
fconvictions are such IS to make mis- ad-
ministralion of the law barrier to settle
ment. | could cite instances where
farmers hsd actually taken possession OF
lands and opened farms within enclosures
l-apd we must concede that men who do
L. u; L. H., n